


An Old Story

by KryHeart_Ardy



Series: Entwined Omakes [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Thief: Deadly Shadows (Freeform)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:26:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23799220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KryHeart_Ardy/pseuds/KryHeart_Ardy
Summary: Five hundred years prior to the events of Entwined Omza reincarnated into the thief Garrett. This is the story of how their relationship unfolded.
Series: Entwined Omakes [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1187333
Comments: 3
Kudos: 3





	An Old Story

**Author's Note:**

> Ardy: So while I suppose you could read this without reading Entwined, you'd probably be very confused. For those who have read Entwined, I imagine some things will start to click together. It could technically stand on it's own regardless.

A bleak moonless sky dominated the night. Long deep beautiful shadows awaiting the grace of true talent. A city without a name slept. A lean man clung to the darkness, his steps silent, fingers brushing the cold cobbled stone. He adored nights like this, quiet and dark were even the guards on duty snored in their stations. The alley opened up into a street, beyond it a bridge the sound of rushing water was the loudest thing in the night to Garrett’s ears.

Gamall had reaped havoc in the Keeper library, stolen the Chalice and Heart and then First Keeper Orland had the gall to order him to retrieve them and destroy her and this ‘Final Glyph’, whatever it was. Garrett came to the bridge and slid slowly, silently into the frigid water. Still at least freeing that little girl from Shalebridge Cradle had given him a lead as to where Gamall hung her stolen skins. He kicked off the wall and swam slowly up the canal. The cold water leaching through his supple black clothing. He kept an eye out for a broken grate and sure enough there it was.

Garrett closed his right eye, as he drove through the gap. He saw an opening above his head within a few kicks and surfaced without so much as a gasp for air. Beyond it was a short dark corridor and a pair of double doors. He could see light flickering from the bottom, still the thief paused and wrung out his clothing before pressing on. It wouldn’t do for dripping water to alert Gamall to his presence.

Out of habit he dropped low as he opened the door just a crack to see what appeared to be a kitchen with a warm fire burning in the hearth. Still it was empty and he progressed forward shutting the door behind him. He crossed the room avoiding the fire light, it felt almost unnatural to him. His steps clicked against the stone as he crossed the room and found a spiral staircase. With a much heavier proper door at the top. Again he dropped and proceeded with caution, the room beyond the beyond appeared to be some sort of study. More accused fires burned filling it with light however upon a long table was a thick tomb that drew him in. Curiosity would cause him trouble some day but the lure of learning more about Gamall would cause him to endure the light.

_ The Glyph of Unbinding. I must keep you here with me, secret, yes. Unbinder! You are the Undoor, the Unwriter! So easily can you destroy my stone warriors, so easily do you unwrite the glyphs that animate them! Why must you exist? You are like the Last of All Glyphs - a terror to me. But here, in my lair, my home, my den, here you can do no harm. _

_ Garrett would want to see you, take you, use you, yes! With your power he would fear my stone soldiers no more. One hit with his cursed blackjack, his bludgeon, to the back of the head of my minions, and they would crumble. _

_ But that will not happen. _

Garrett heard heavy grinding footsteps and departed from the book. Slipping around a support wall and into delightfully thicker shadows.  _ ‘A glyph to undo other glyphs? I could definitely find a use for that.’ _ He mused crossing the room to enjoy the carpeted floor as and paused in a deep shadow.

The grinding grew louder and a stone man walked past the doorway. As it walked past him Garrett slinked swiftly forth, thankful for the thick rugs. Jacknall’s Paw was waiting in the room, another stone man walking around it ha, easy. Even if an infernal gas lantern lit the ground. To the left he walked and had to listen to the stone man. “Wait and wait and watch and wait and listen and wait.”

_ ‘Got it again...Whatever it is.’ _ Garrett nabbed the Paw with ease before retreating the way he had come. Relief filling him as he returned to the shadows. He retraced his steps following the stone man as it spoke again. “All is silence and quiet and chill and silence.” It spoke in it’s gravely voice as Garrett ducked into the study again. He crossed the space to another doorway, he opened it to find yet another hearth. With a sigh he grabbed a pitcher of water and tossed it over the fire. Ah darkness much better.

Another door awaited and without any other plan, save to explore the oppressive lair he opened it. The room was large and dark with another stone soldier walking back and forth. There was a desk to one side and he gravitated to it staying within the darkness. He could all but feel the pricking of the Chalice’s magic in the room. He waited for a moment tracking the soldier before moving ghosting through the room and sure enough there it was on a shelf. Above it through was another book.

_ Always the thief! His name, always in the prophecies! And where is mine? Am I not just as terrible? Am I not even more fearsome? I must animate my army in more numbers than before! He will not fulfill his destiny! _

The hefty weight of the Chalice in his hands was far too familiar for his liking.  _ ‘How many times am I going to steal this thing?’ _

The walking soldier spoke. “Nothing and no one is here, nothing and no one.” 

Garrett spotted yet another door this time behind him. He again waited for the soldier to turn it’s back and crossed into the room, shutting the door behind him. Beyond it was a large bed, hearth and a chest that made his fingers itch with the desire to pick the lock. It was laughably easy and the lock clicked open in seconds and within was a small purse of coins. He took those with a smile on his face and looked the room over, cold barren but with a writing desk and yet another book. He crossed over the rug and peered down at it.

_ Gamall’s Journal _

_ My efforts have met with obstacles, hindrances, delays… but there is a benefit to having Garrett alive. He can easily do what I cannot. The thief, the sneak. I know everything, and he knows nothing. My success is assured. _

_ It is time for recollection, retrospect. Decades, centuries past. I remember the day Somersault found the glyph. My glyph. And I knew, even I signed the covenant never to touch it, that it would be mine. It called to me. It sang me it’s song. _

_ Then it was foolish trusting Vangolyn who shared with us his insight to use the glyphs against the accelerated aging. And it worked. Better than I hoped. And now I am more than any of them could have imagined. _

_ Of the recent past. The child Lauryl whose form I used to hide from the others for so long. Sealed her grave with glyphs, so that her skin would be mine for as long as I needed, wanted it. How did she escape? I am still unsure. _

_ And Orland, so easily to manipulate by the letters. Signed with a C, any other would have unearthed my simple ploy. How easy it has been to remove the Libraries the books that refer to me. _

_ And now for the future. I surmise that there are others following my path, my destiny. All they lack is the Glyph of Transmutation. And when the time comes, I will give it to them, my brethren, and more. I am become Glyphs. The time of secrets is almost over. I new age approaches. _

Garrett pursed his lips as he walked away.  _ ‘They say she used to be human… but whatever she was… Gamall’s a monster now.’  _ He walked over to a reading desk and ran his hand along the line of books. One at the end resisted his casual touch. With a smirk he pulled on it a secret door opened.  _ ‘Of course she’d have an escape route.’ _

He moved quickly to it, for it started to close and climbed up the latter and opened the door from the inside. Light saturated the space beyond and he quickly drew his bow and a water arrow. A quick perfect shot doused the torch up on the wall. The sounds of the night returned as he stepped into a courtyard, cricket chips filled the air but then it was hit with the grinding voice. “Guard and then be free and free and free.”

Another door was right beside him so Garrett slipped back inside rather than risk the open space. He walked slowly to keep his steps silent on the stone ground as the space opened up into a library. In the middle was a table with five objects and a map on it. The room was empty so he walked softly down a set of stairs and approached the map. As he stood, there were loud steps through the room, however he recognized the gait. “I told you I don’t like being followed.”

“Our separate paths have converged, Garrett. We both seek the same thing.” Keeper Artemus spoke up.

Garrett did not trust him, despite their history, not anymore. “Hmm. I suppose if you were working for Gamall, you would have tried to kill me just now.”

“Tried? I would have succeeded. Look around us Garrett. This is Gamall’s secret library. Here she has been lurking...plotting… and for much longer than just one lifetime. She has used the glyphs to...extend her life. And there’s more...”

“You’ve been reading Artemus.” Garrett’s voice dripped sarcasm, he had been reading on the way in as well.

“Yes, we are fortunate. In these books, Gamall has documented her plans carefully. The meaning of that man is not yet clear to me…”

“Chalice, Crown. These things are marked with the names of the artifacts.” Garrett picked up one of the placeholders and looked it over. The sound of a flipping page in the background.

“These books, some have been missing for months, some...maybe years. She does not say what the Final Glyph does, only that she will become undefeatable once she…”

Garrett set the placeholder down and the map started to glow that Glyph blue. Artemus walked over and looked at the locations of each placeholder. “The Auldale plaza… The South Quarter fountain…”

Garrett looked at the Glyph that had formed. He had never seen one like it. “Well, now we know what to do with the Artifacts once we have them. They fit into those landmarks somehow…”

“She has been gaining knowledge...while our ignorance grew…”

“Do the books say where she is now?”

“The remaining treasures, they are...at the Museum. She hopes to gather them all at once.”

“And when she has them, she’ll activate this: Last of All Glyphs’.”

“No. No. The books are very clear on that. She intends to destroy it. When she has all the treasures, she’ll have the power to do just that. The Last Glyph is the only thing she fears… well that, and you, my friend.”

“Destroy it? But that’s what Orland and the others told me to do. Half truths from the Keepers… why am I not surprised?”

“For the council to still employ subterfuge, with all that’s at stake… I will go to Orland myself and get the truth from him. You should-”

“Go to the Museum, and steal the remaining Artifacts before Gamall gets to them.”

“Then let us meet back at Stone Market Plaza and Garrett if you come face to face with Gamall you must understand, with her power over Glyphs, she is all but indestructible.”

“Right. I’ll keep that in mind… Artemus?” He looked up to find Artemus gone, that was odd it was usually him to be the one doing that.

Garrett turned his attention back to the room and saw the glyph of Unbinding stored on a wall. He walked over and touched it, it glowed right and he drew it out and put it on his blackjack.  _ ‘That will come in handy.’ _

_ ‘Yes I dare say it will. Did I come at a bad time? My name is Ozma.’ _

Garrett didn’t show any outward emotion at the new voice in his head.  _ ‘I am not going mad, if I was going to do that it would have happened in the Tricksters realm.’ _

_ ‘Yes you are quite right. You are not going mad and I must confess I did not know that the Trickster was even real. It seems that the new Gods really are replacing the Brother Gods.’ _

Garrett pressed on back the way he had come, creeping through the shadows. Ozma spoke up.  _ ‘This Glyph magic is new to me as well. I thought I was the only person with magic left on Remnant.’ _

_ ‘Just who are you?’  _ Garrett thought back at Ozma

_ ‘Ozma, I was a warrior before the Brother Gods left this world. I have been cursed to reincarnate into a ‘like minded individual’ till humanity is united. Though from your memories we are not very alike... thief.’ _

Garrett crept around a stone man but he grew closer and closer. Garrett pressed his body up against the stone wall.

_ ‘Here let me.’ _ He couldn’t stop his hands as they reached up glowing with green Aura. Omza grabbed the stone solder by the head and smashed his knee into it’s stomach, the blow infused with Aura and the stone shattered. Only the crumbling sound alerted the second gargoyle. 

_ ‘Idiot! Don’t ever do that again!’ _ Garrett fled through the hall and back down into the kitchen. When they passed back into the canal Ozma spoke up.  _ ‘I apologize, I am not accustomed to my reincarnations not being fighters.’ _

Garrett kicked off into the canal and started to swim back out. The cold water didn’t seem as cold as before and when he reached up he saw that same green glow.  _ ‘Now what are you doing?’ _

_ ‘My Aura. I can use it to hamper the effects of the elements on the body. I’d rather not freeze to death or catch a cold swimming through sewer filth.’ _ Ozma let the concentration go and the Aura faded away.

_ ‘It makes me light up like a Hammerite street light.’ _ Garrett mentally hissed at the other voice. His fingers bit into the cold slimy stone dock edge, he hauled himself out of the water and took a moment to catch his breath. Very thankful for the moonless night, even as the wind picked up and froze him.

He stood up and started south. It was best to avoid the old quarter whenever possible. A shiver not related to his soaked clothing went up his spine. The memories of that place alone were enough to keep him away.

_ ‘What is the Eye in your thoughts?’ _

_ ‘It’s one of the Artifacts. Objects that seem to centralize the power of the Glyphs beyond it’s habit of resurrecting the dead and being useful in higher magics I don’t know.’ _

_ ‘And yet you stole it from a horde of zombies and then again from a God. All to save this city… Then you did it again just last year, only this time from Karras and his plot to destroy all organic life. Perhaps we have more in common than I first saw.’ _

Garrett scoffed. _ ‘All I want is to be left alone to steal in peace.’ _

_ ‘Well I have no current plans, judging from your memories I think I might enjoy such a life. Quiet if nothing else.’ _

Fog curled around them as twilight started to breach the horizon. Garrett pulled his cloak free of his quiver, he hated morning and the haul from Gamall’s lair was slight but he hadn’t been willing to risk lingering.  _ ‘Need to collect something for rent money at the museum tomorrow.’ _

_ ‘While I agree with stealing from the likes of Gamall and probably the Keepers judging from your memories. Stealing from a museum is damaging to everyone.’ _

_ ‘If you want a place to live by next week you are going to have to get over that. We can’t know what Gamall plans are, if she gets the Artifacts first and I can’t spare the night to plan a bigger heist… I’ll have to come back here tomorrow. Carem trades in counterfeits, she’ll have a replacement for the Heart and Crown, maybe even a map.’ _

_ ‘Now you’re just ignoring me.’ _

_ ‘Given that you’re a voice in my head that does make sense.’ _

_ ‘Maybe I reincarnated into you to be your conscience.’ _

Garrett rolled his eyes at that as he crossed the bridge into the South Quarter. It’s high walls and cramped streets were a comfort. Here the presence of the Watch was weak enough that he could walk largely freely.  _ ‘Home sweet home.’ _

The thief was pleased when this  _ Ozma _ went silent. He needed a meal and a good days sleep, maybe then the voice would be gone. Though if it wasn’t, well stranger things had happened to him. The fog helped to hide him as he walked through the streets, they filled slowly with workers and merchants making ready to begin the day. He made it into his building; a hostel with many other tenants without incident. The lock behind him was heavy.

Omza took the home in. Two rooms, one hearth, a desk to work and eat at. Nothing to suggest a master thief lived here. Garrett walked over to the mantle and pulled a box off of it and set it on the table. He sat heavily down into the chair with a sigh. He ran a hand through his short black hair, pushing his hood back and opened the box. He pulled out a large roll of paper and opened it. The new soul marveled at the complexity of the designs. They were for an eye.

Garrett reached up and into his own right eye socket. The mechanical eye came out with a little work, he had tried to keep it dry but he would have to clean it and put new lubrant in it all the same. Only then did he stand up and light a fire in the hearth. Stripping mechanically and laying his clothes and equipment out to dry.

_ ‘The Trickster plucked out your eye…’ _

_ ‘I don’t want to talk about it.’ _ Garrett thought back at Ozma with an angry tone.

_ ‘Obviously. It’s still a remarkable replacement, where did you get it?’ _

_ ‘You can read my memories, why are you even asking?’ _

_ ‘You’re memories… well, like any mortal, they are not perfect. This is my body now too and I have a right to understand it.’ _

_ ‘You don't’ have a right to anything. Maybe there was something in that sewer that is making me hallucinate.’ _

_ ‘You have access to my memories, look at them. I can show you things that you couldn’t possibly think of on your own. We are stuck with each other Garrett, whether either of us likes it or not.’ _

_ ‘Show me something then.’ _

Omza focused and showed him the face of the Elder Brother God. Let Garrett view the memory of the God sending Ozma back into the mortal coil.

Garrett almost snarled.  _ ‘So you brought this on yourself, all for a girl.’ _

_ ‘Not my finest hour, needless to say I have been punished thoroughly for my error.’ _

The lean man sat down at the table and started to dissemble his metal eye. Ozma spoke up again.  _ ‘So your eye?’ _

_ ‘A gift from the Hammerites for helping them bring down the Trickster.’ _ He undid several screws with a fine touch and sent them on a large piece of cloth to dry. The eye came apart in three intricate pieces that he meticulously cleaned. Each piece with several layers and lenses that all need the most delicate of touches.

_ ‘You are remarkably light handed.’ _

_ ‘Thief.’ _

_ ‘Good point.’ _

They didn’t speak again as Garrett finished cleaning and preparing the mechanical eye for tomorrow. He ate a meal of heavy bread and cheese, then retired to sleep the sun filled hours away. Omza also rested, wondering if he could really get along with someone like Garrett and what tomorrow would bring. It seemed there were threats in the world that he had no knowledge of.


End file.
